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PQQ, ITT, PSQ — What They Mean and Which One You're Facing Next

The UK public procurement process has its own language. If you don’t know what stage you’re at, you can’t respond correctly and that alone can cost you the contract.

PQQ — Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
This is the gatekeeper stage. Buyers use it to filter out companies that don’t meet basic requirements turnover thresholds, insurance levels, health and safety policies. It’s pass/fail. Get it wrong and you never reach the tender itself.

PSQ — Pre-Selection Questionnaire
The PSQ replaced the PQQ under the 2021 procurement reforms and is now the standard for most public contracts. It covers similar ground financial standing, technical capability, compliance but with updated formatting and social value questions built in from the start.

ITT — Invitation to Tender
This is the main event. Once you’ve passed the PSQ, you receive an ITT a detailed document outlining the contract requirements and asking scored questions on how you’ll deliver. Your method statements, staffing plans, mobilisation strategy, and pricing all live here.

💡 Many companies fail at the PSQ stage not because they’re unqualified, but because they present their information poorly or miss a required document entirely.

Knowing which stage you’re at, what’s being evaluated, and what a strong response looks like at each point is the foundation of any successful bid strategy.

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PQQ, ITT, PSQ — What They Mean and Which One You're Facing Next

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